We all know that feeling. Fall semester has finally arrived in the Southeast and SEC football is underway. It’s time for beautiful weather, tailgating with friends and family, and some Auburn Tiger Football. Like me, most of us were raised on it. Now, take a quick leap and a hop over the pond to Italy. Italians aren’t about football, but futbol… that’s another story. Futbol, or soccer as we Americans like to call it, is not only a sport, but almost a way of life over here in Europe. Think SEC football times five. Soccer games get so intense that they have to separate the fans completely. Fights are sure to break out between fans if they aren’t properly separated inside the stadium. If you thought nothing could get more heated than the Iron Bowl, think again.
The World Cup is being hosted in Brazil this year. Think Super Bowl plus National Championship combined, but bigger. Italy played their second game last Tuesday night. Since we had been in Rome all day, we thought we should buy a couple “Italia” t-shirts and go watch the game like a true Italian (even though we knew nothing about soccer). We bought our shirts, made our way to the Roman Forum, grabbed a Peroni, and anxiously awaited the outcome while watching on the big screen. All we knew was that a lot was on the line for Italy, one more loss and they’re out. The game was a blast, the end of the game not so much. I’m sad to say that Italy lost and is no longer playing for the World Cup. Give them another four years and they’ll be back and ready to fight. As for me, I’m gonna stick with football.
Carly Chambliss

Sammy, Caroline, and I supporting Italia in the World Cup while in Roma.